Room by Emma Donaghue

Format: e-book

Length: 342 pages

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Source: personal library

From the publisher:

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it’s where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it’s not enough…not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son’s bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Here’s what I thought:

I’d heard a lot about this book over the past few years, and having LOVED Donoghue’s Slammerkin I was eager to read this one, too. This book was also on my 2014 TBR Pile Challenge list.

I have to admit that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as Donoghue’s previous work. The character of Jack, who narrates the novel, is a five-year-old boy. His narrative voice can be a bit grating, especially as he doesn’t speak like a normal child (having grown up in captivity with no other example than his mother and the television).

I never really warmed to either Jack or the mother, which probably makes me sound very cold-hearted and horrible, but there it is. I was glad with the way things turned out for them and thought that the resolution of the novel was very satisfying, but I just never felt that connection to them that I generally need to feel towards a book’s characters to really enjoy it.

Overall, the book was well-written and the plot interesting. I liked it, but I don’t think it will stay with me in the long-term.

And the Dark Sacred Night by Julia Glass

Format: E-book galley

Length: 400 pages

Publisher: Pantheon

Source: Edelweiss

From the publisher:

Kit Noonan’s life is stalled: unemployed, twins to help support, a mortgage to pay—and a frustrated wife, who is certain that more than anything else, Kit needs to solve the mystery of his father’s identity. He begins with a visit to his former stepfather, Jasper, a take-no-prisoners Vermont outdoorsman. But it is another person who has kept the secret: Lucinda Burns, wife of a revered senior statesman and mother of Malachy (the journalist who died of AIDS in Glass’s first novel, Three Junes). She and her husband are the only ones who know the full story of an accident whose repercussions spread even further when Jasper introduces Lucinda to Kit. Immersing readers in a panorama that stretches from Vermont to the tip of Cape Cod, Glass weaves together the lives of Kit, Jasper, Lucinda and ultimately, Fenno McLeod, the beloved protagonist of Three Junes (now in his sixties). An unforgettable novel about the youthful choices that steer our destinies, the necessity of forgiveness, and the surprisingly mutable meaning of family.

Here’s what I thought:

I was happy to see that Glass had a follow-up coming out to Three Junes, which is one of my all-time favorite novels. And The Dark Sacred Night picks up on the lives of some of the characters from the previous novel and introduces new ones who are connected to them, whether through blood or affinity.

The novel delves into the back story of how Malachy (from Three Junes) and Daphne met as teenagers at a summer music camp and how the events which transpired there affected their lives. The story moves between the past and the present, in which their son Kit is looking for answers about his father.

The story drew me in early on, and I particularly enjoyed the character of Jasper, Kit’s stepfather. It was nice to be re-introduced to Lucinda and Fenno, both of whom appeared in the earlier novel. With the exception of these characters, however, the others came off as more one-dimensional than I would have expected from my previous experience with Glass’ writing.

About halfway through the novel, the storyline just sort of peters outs and never manages to pick up speed again. The characters spend a lot of time eating and talking and overanalyzing their lives. Then, a strange twist occurs near the end which seems completely out of place and unproductive. And that’s it.

Needless to say, although it started off well enough, I was ultimately disappointed by this follow-up and can’t really recommend it.

Thanks to Pantheon and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of this book.

Books I Should Have Read: The Nonfiction Edition

It’s time for another round of Books I Should Have Read! This time, I’ll highlight some nonfiction books that I’ve had on my TBR pile but not (yet) gotten around to reading.

These three all came out over the past year and are all works of nonfiction.

1. Paris to the Pyrenees by David Downee

Description:

Part adventure story, part cultural history the author of Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light explores the phenomenon of pilgrimage along the age-old Way of Saint James in France.

Driven by curiosity, wanderlust, and health crises David Downie and his wife set out from Paris to walk across France to the Pyrenees. Starting on the Rue Saint-Jacques then trekking 750 miles south to Roncesvalles, Spain, their eccentric route takes 72 days on Roman roads and pilgrimage paths—a 1,100-year-old network of trails leading to the sanctuary of Saint James the Greater. It is best known as El Camino de Santiago de Compostela—“The Way” for short. The object of any pilgrimage is an inward journey manifested in a long, reflective walk. For Downie, the inward journey met the outer one: a combination of self-discovery and physical regeneration. More than 200,000 pilgrims take the highly commercialized Spanish route annually, but few cross France. Downie had a goal: to go from Paris to the Pyrenees on age-old trails, making the pilgrimage in his own maverick way.

My 2 cents: 

This book seemed like it would be perfect for me–France, hiking, etc.–and I actually started it but just couldn’t get into it, The narrator put me off a bit and the beginning that I read just wasn’t compelling enough to make me keep reading. However, I’d be interested to hear from someone else who read it in its entirety to hear what you thought.

2. My Life in Middlemarch by Rebecca Mead

Description: A New Yorker writer revisits the seminal book of her youth–Middlemarch–and fashions a singular, involving story of how a passionate attachment to a great work of literature can shape our lives and help us to read our own histories.

Rebecca Mead was a young woman in an English coastal town when she first read George Eliot’s Middlemarch, regarded by many as the greatest English novel. After gaining admission to Oxford, and moving to the United States to become a journalist, through several love affairs, then marriage and family, Mead read and reread Middlemarch. The novel, which Virginia Woolf famously described as “one of the few English novels written for grown-up people,” offered Mead something that modern life and literature did not.

My 2 cents:

I started this book and, while interesting, it’s pretty slow going. The author has a very literary style (lots of big words!) which make it a book to be savored rather than rushed, but I’m not sure that I have the patience to finish it right now. What I have read of it is good, though, and I definitely think fans of Middlemarch will appreciate this behind-the-scenes look at Eliot’s novel as well as Mead’s personal response to it.

3. Paris Letters by Janice MacLeod

Description:  A love story in the vein of Almost French and Lunch in Paris, Paris Letters is a joyful romp through the City of Light, and an inspiring look at what can happen when we dare to create the life we want.

“How much money does it take to change your life?”

Unfulfilled at her job and unsuccessful in the dating department, Janice MacLeod doodled this question at her desk. Then she decided to make it a challenge. Over the next few months, with a little math and a lot of determination, she saved up enough to buy two years of freedom in Europe.

But she had only been in Paris for a few days when she met a handsome butcher (with a striking resemblance to Daniel Craig)—and never went home again.

My 2 cents:

I can’t say much about this one because I haven’t even cracked the (figurative) cover yet. I think it’s one of those books that I just need to be in the mood to read. I have a love/hate relationship with expat memoirs because while they sometimes have me nodding my head in agreement, they more often cause me to want to bang my head against the wall at the “romanticizing” of the expat experience. Hopefully I’ll find the time to read this one in the near future.

This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett

Format: E-book galley

Length: 320 pages

Publisher: Harper

Source: Edelweiss

From the publisher:

 Ann Patchett’s novels have been feats of imagination-from the tale of an opera singer held hostage inside a vice presidential mansion, to a forgotten tribe along the banks of the Amazon river-she has created entire worlds for the reader to inhabit. Now, with her new book, she puts fiction aside and invites us into the very real world of her own life. This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage is both wide-ranging and deeply personal, overflowing with close observation and emotional wisdom. Stretching from her tumultuous childhood, from a disastrous early marriage and a later happy one, she charts the hard work and joy of writing, and the unexpected thrill of opening a bookstore. Patchett shares stories of the people, places, ideals, and art to which she has remained indelibly committed. Brimming with thoughtful advice and emotional wisdom, this collection brings into focus the large experiences and small moments that have shaped her as a daughter, wife, writer, and friend. An irresistible blend of literature and memoir, This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage is a unique examination of the heart, mind, and soul of one of our most revered and gifted writers.

Here’s what I thought:

Ann Patchett is one of my favorite writers and I have a special place in my heart for her non-fiction, so I jumped at the chance to read this latest work of non-fiction. This is the Story of a Happy Marriage is a collection of essays and articles that have mostly been published elsewhere and reassembled together here.

Although the essays don’t all necessarily have a common theme, the order of them tends to flow naturally from one to the next, and there are quite a few companion pieces which work best read together. Patchett covers a diverse array of topics, all in a way which is intensely personal–she applies almost everything to her own life and uses examples from her experiences as a way of revealing larger truths. She also manages to be both down to earth and beautifully poetic at times. Her narrative voice is accessible and feels as if she is speaking directly to you, though I wouldn’t necessarily make the assumption that this is the real Ann Patchett; she is a writer after all.

The pieces collected here are highly readable and kept me interested from start to finish. Patchett interweaves tales about her childhood, her romantic history, and her love for her dog into articles about larger issues such as the business of writing, the role of books in shaping people’s experiences, and the importance of independent bookstores. She has definite opinions but for the most part doesn’t come across as over-bearing, even as her intelligence and confidence shine through every story that she tells.

I enjoyed this collection very much, and I feel like it gave me a greater insight into Ann Patchett, the writer, and a greater appreciation for how and why she does what she does. Recommended.

Thanks so much to Edelweiss and Harper for providing me with a copy of this book.

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Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield

Format: E-book galley

Length: 336 pages

Publisher: Atria Books

Source: NetGalley

From the publisher:

ONE MOMENT IN TIME CAN HAUNT YOU FOREVER. 

Caught up in a moment of boyhood competition, William Bellman recklessly aims his slingshot at a rook resting on a branch, killing the bird instantly. It is a small but cruel act, and is soon forgotten. By the time he is grown, with a wife and children of his own, William seems to have put the whole incident behind him. It was as if he never killed the thing at all. But rooks don’t forget . . . 

Years later, when a stranger mysteriously enters William’s life, his fortunes begin to turn—and the terrible and unforeseen consequences of his past indiscretion take root. In a desperate bid to save the only precious thing he has left, he enters into a rather strange bargain, with an even stranger partner. Together, they found a decidedly macabre business. 

And Bellman & Black is born.

Here’s what I thought:

A lot of people read and fell in love with Setterfield’s first book, The Thirteenth Tale. I have a feeling that when her latest book, Bellman & Black, was announced, those people were expecting a similar story and were perhaps disappointed by what they found. At least, that’s the impression I’ve gotten from many of the reviews I have read up to this point. I enjoyed The Thirteenth Tale but it didn’t bowl me over, and so while I was interested to read Bellman & Black, I didn’t go into it with any particular expectations. This is one reason why I was so pleasantly surprised by what I found.

Although the subtitle of the book is ‘A Ghost Story’, I think it would be more accurate to say that B&B is a fable. It tells the story of William Bellman, a man who experiences a traumatic event in childhood which consequently follows him throughout the rest of his life. In telling Bellman’s story, Setterfield tackles issues of morality and mortality in the setting of Victorian England, a time period with a fixation on death and mourning.

The story is told from the point of view of an omniscient narrator, which fits perfectly with the events that unfold. There is an aura of tragedy that hangs over everything, almost as if the narrator were a dark shadow looming over Bellman as he goes about the business of his life. And the business of his life is exactly that–business–as efficiency and profitability are the watchwords of Bellman’s existence.

As with any fable, there is a moral at the end of the story, and I thought it was expertly conveyed. Setterfield is an atmospheric writer, with every scene lending itself to the overall effect and building up to the ultimate outcome. Although the ending is not a happy one, I couldn’t help but appreciate Setterfield’s talent in achieving it. Highly recommended.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with a copy of this book.

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Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell

Format: E-book galley

Length:  458 pages

Publisher: Atria Books

Source: Edelweiss

From the publisher:

Fresh out of university, Betty is ready to begin a new chapter of her life in London—one she hopes brings new friends, a big career break, and perhaps even true love. Following her dreams in bustling, grungy nineties Soho, she’s ready for whatever life has to throw at her. Or so she thinks…

In 1920s bohemian London, Arlette—Betty’s grandmother—is starting her new life in a time of post-war change. Beautiful and charismatic, Arlette is soon drawn into the hedonistic world of the Bright Young People. But two years after her arrival in London, tragedy strikes and she flees back to the country for the rest of her life.

As Betty tries to manage the ups and downs of adulthood, she’s distracted by a mysterious letter she finds after Arlette’s death—a letter written to a man Betty has never heard of but who meant the world to her grandmother. Will the secrets of Arlette’s past help Betty navigate her own path to happiness?

A heartwarming detective story and a captivating look at London then and now, Before I Met You is an unforgettable story about two very different women, separated by seventy years, but linked by a shared determination to make their dreams come true.

Here’s what I thought:

I really wanted to like this book. It had all the elements that I generally enjoy in a work of fiction–a bit of history, a bit of mystery, and a heroine you can root for. London is one of my favorite cities and I was looking forward to experiencing it during two different historical time periods. Unfortunately, the story fell flat for me.

I never really warmed up to either Betty or Arlette, and even the London setting failed to draw me in. Nothing particularly exciting or important ever happens, and I probably could have enjoyed Betty’s story for what it is (coming of age, small town girl in the big city) if that had been the whole book, but the chapters that focus on Arlette’s story kept distracting me from it. Arlette’s story just rings completely untrue, down to the dialogue which is painful to read, completely stiff and unbelievable. Neither of the main characters are particularly likeable, but I actively disliked Arlette.

What could have been a Kate Morton meets chick lit novel falls short of both.  I suppose there are some readers who might enjoy Betty’s story, at least, but I can’t really recommend this one.

Thanks so much to Edelweiss and Atria Books for providing me with a copy of this book.

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Someone Else’s Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson

Format: E-book galley

Length:  352 pages

Publisher: William Morrow

Source: Edelweiss

From the publisher:

At twenty-one Shandi Pierce is juggling finishing college, raising her delightful three-year-old genius son Nathan, aka Natty Bumppo, and keeping the peace between her eternally warring, long-divorced Christian mother and Jewish father. She’s got enough complications without getting caught in the middle of a stick-up in a gas station mini-mart and falling in love with a great wall of a man named William Ashe, who willingly steps between the armed robber and her son.

Shandi doesn’t know that her blond god Thor has his own complications. When he looked down the barrel of that gun he believed it was destiny: It’s been one year to the day since a tragic act of physics shattered his world. But William doesn’t define destiny the way other people do. A brilliant geneticist who believes in science and numbers, destiny to him is about choice.

Now, he and Shandi are about to meet their so-called destinies head on, making choices that will reveal unexpected truths about love, life, and the world they think they know.

Here’s what I thought:

I love Joshilyn Jackson. She is one of my very favorite authors and I’ve read everything she has written, yet this is the first one of her books that I’ve actually read rather than listened to on audio. It was interesting because I found that it wasn’t that different an experience from “reading” her other books. She has such a strong, unique voice that it comes through clearly in her writing–even without hearing her actual voice in my ears, I could still hear her voice in my head. (This doesn’t make me as crazy; she narrates most of her own books so I do know exactly what she sounds like. And it’s only while reading that I hear voices in my head, not all the time. No worries!)

Someone Else’s Love Story is typical of most of Jackson’s books in that it takes place in the South, this time in the Atlanta metro area, which is well-known to me because it’s where I grew up and where my family still lives.  I enjoy reading books set in places that are familiar as it helps me connect to the story in a very immediate way. It’s also typical Jackson fare in that there is a female main character, but what made the book a bit different was that the story is actually told from two points of view–that of Shandi, the young mother, and William, a thirty-something autistic geneticist.

Shandi and William meet under dramatic circumstances when they are both caught in the middle of the armed robbery of a convenience store. Following this meeting, their paths continue to cross as they find that they both need something from the other. As Shandi helps William to heal from physical and emotional wounds, William helps her to resolve lingering questions about her past and the conception of her son, Natty.

My favorite character in the book by far was William, and I loved how Jackson portrays this unique and complex man. His back story is revealed in fragments throughout the novel, filtered through his own thoughts, so the full picture is not clear until the very end. Although I’m not an expert, it felt like a very believable depiction of someone with autism, and he has such a goodness and a vulnerability about him (even as he’s really big and strong) that I fell a little bit in love with him (Shandi, I totally get it).

I didn’t enjoy the character of Shandi as much. It might be because of her youth, but she felt very much like a work in progress, with no real definition to her. I never got a handle on who she was and what she wanted, and I’m not sure those things were clear to her, either. The plot device for her move to Atlanta felt flimsy, too, as she supposedly goes to be closer to school but never actually goes to school once there, as it’s summertime and classes haven’t started yet. It just seems like an excuse to move her in proximity to William.

The writing is classic Jackson, full of spunk and wit and creativity, and I loved every minute of it. The secondary characters are interesting and original. The resolution of the novel brings together the themes of the book in a very nice way, and it’s satisfying. If I had one complaint it would be with the way that Shandi and Walcott’s story is wrapped up, because it just feels too sudden and convenient.

All in all, I really enjoyed this latest book by Joshilyn Jackson. The only bad part about reading it early is that I have to wait that much longer for her next one. (Updated to say: Jackson has just released a prequel short story to Someone Else’s Love Story entitled My Own Miraculous. I bought it and will be reading it after the fact, obviously, but you could always read it first. And yay for more J. J.!)

Thanks so much to Edelweiss and William Morrow for providing me with a copy of this book.

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A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn

Format: E-book galley

Length:  384 pages

Publisher: Harlequin MIRA

Publication Date: April 30, 2013

From the publisher:

Paris, 1923

The daughter of a scandalous mother, Delilah Drummond is already notorious, even among Paris society. But her latest scandal is big enough to make even her oft-married mother blanch. Delilah is exiled to Kenya and her favorite stepfather’s savanna manor house until gossip subsides.

Fairlight is the crumbling, sun-bleached skeleton of a faded African dream, a world where dissolute expats are bolstered by gin and jazz records, cigarettes and safaris. As mistress of this wasted estate, Delilah falls into the decadent pleasures of society.

Against the frivolity of her peers, Ryder White stands in sharp contrast. As foreign to Delilah as Africa, Ryder becomes her guide to the complex beauty of this unknown world. Giraffes, buffalo, lions and elephants roam the shores of Lake Wanyama amid swirls of red dust. Here, life is lush and teeming-yet fleeting and often cheap.

Amidst the wonders-and dangers-of Africa, Delilah awakes to a land out of all proportion: extremes of heat, darkness, beauty and joy that cut to her very heart. Only when this sacred place is profaned by bloodshed does Delilah discover what is truly worth fighting for-and what she can no longer live without.

Here’s what I thought:

I’ve read and liked most of Deanna Raybourn’s Lady Julia Grey mystery series, but this was her first standalone book for me. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I got caught up in the story right away. The setting of 1920’s Kenya is just perfect–I was drawn right in and didn’t want to leave it behind when the book was finished.

Delilah Drummond is an absolutely fascinating heroine, strong-willed and daring, and although she comes off as a bit spoiled in the early scenes in Paris, that impression was soon corrected for me when the story shifts to Kenya. There, Delilah manages to pull an abandoned farm back together, slide effortlessly into her role as caretaker of the local tribe of Kikuyu, and keep up a completely guilt-free affair with a local artist on the side.

Although there are themes running throughout about the place of women in society, colonialism, race relations, and the political issues of the day, the book is mainly a showcase for the development of Delilah as a character.  The more I got to know her, the more interesting I found her to be. As the story progresses we learn more about Delilah’s past and how it has made her into the woman that she is–someone who doesn’t pass up a chance to drink, smoke and dance even when her world is crumbling around her.

The relationship between Delilah and Ryder is just delicious, and although I’m not a big fan of the alpha male character in general, I loved Ryder. I also truly appreciated Delilah’s refreshingly uncomplicated attitude towards sex. She doesn’t spend her time pining away for a man who isn’t hers, but she doesn’t throw herself at every man she sees, either. She makes choices and isn’t ashamed of them, and she never for a moment wavers in her sense of self-worth.

The overriding relationship that is developed through the course of the book, however, is Delilah’s relationship with her new country. Although a mystery is introduced and solved by the end of the book, the real resolution for me came when Delilah decides whether or not to stay in Kenya. Her feelings for the land and its people are as important as those she develops for her romantic interest, and the ending of the book interweaves the two nicely.

If I had one complaint, it would be the numerous nods to Out of Africa that I noticed throughout the book. Although I love the movie, it jarred me out of this story to keep being reminded of a different one and took away from my reading experience slightly. It’s understandable that there would be similar references and images with both stories taking place in the same time and location, but sometimes they were just too alike for me (for example, the scene with the servant wearing white gloves and some of the conversations between Delilah and Gideon).

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and recommend it to fans of historical fiction with strong characters and a dash of romance.

Note: Raybourn has a prequel novella out now entitled Far in the Wilds and featuring Ryder White. It’s free at the moment on Amazon, so if you’re not sure if this book is for you, it may be a good chance to check out one of the main characters before you buy.

Thanks so much to Edelweiss and Harlequin MIRA for providing me with a copy of this book.

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Review Copies – Too Much of a Good Thing?

I’ve spent the morning cleaning up my reading schedule and taking note of all the books I’ve committed to in the past few weeks–they tend to multiply like bunnies, don’t they?–and also reflecting on how my feelings about review copies have changed over time.

I know plenty of book bloggers who never (or seldom) accept review copies, and I can understand why. It’s nice to be able to read what you want when you want. It’s nice to be able to say what you want about what you read, without worrying that it’s going to reflect badly on the author or the publisher who shared the book with you. I believe in giving an honest opinion, and it’s rare for me to give a glowing review without any caveat. So far I haven’t had any negative feedback as a result, but I can see where it might give a publisher pause.

Being able to read review copies was one of the big draws of book blogging for me, for several reasons. One, I live in France. As any anglophone who has lived outside of an English-speaking country will recognize, I have a limited access to English language books and the ones I can buy are at a huge markup. Because my book budget is limited, having access to free books is huge.

Secondly, I love sharing in the reading experience. This is something I have always appreciated, as a student and a teacher of literature, and this is the reason why participating in readalongs is one of my favorite things. When I’m reading a review copy of a new book that other bloggers are reading, too, I feel part of something, and reading moves from the individual to the collective. I love that dynamic and the exchange that it promotes, otherwise why would I be blogging?

But, having said that, review copies can be overwhelming. I’ve had to learn how much is too much, and sadly I tend to only accept books that I’m pretty sure I’ll enjoy reading. I don’t take a lot of risks in the books I choose, because I’ve learned that if I request something and then don’t read it (because I can’t get into the story, usually), I feel bad. I have let down the person who entrusted the book to me, and it’s not fair. Sometimes I’ll finish the book anyway, but more and more I’m finding that if I do that I lose out on reading other books that I would really enjoy. So I’m picky.

For those of you who read review copies–is there an acceptable margin of ‘DNR’ (did not read) error? Have you received negative feedback from publishers about books you didn’t finish? Do you have another way of highlighting books that you didn’t read on your blog (as opposed to writing a review)?

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Format: E-book (review copy)

Length: 384 pages

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

Source: Edelweiss

From Goodreads:

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn’t know is she’s about to lose her job or that knowing what’s coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he’s going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn’t know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they’re going to change the other for all time.

Here’s what I thought:

I had heard a lot of good things about this book before I started it, although I honestly didn’t know anything about the plot, other than one friend telling me it was a tear-jerker. I think in a way this was a good thing, as it’s a pretty intense situation that is presented, and I might have had preconceived notions or opinions that could have colored my reading of the book. Instead, I really got to know the main characters, Louisa and Will, before the central problem of the book is revealed.

Louisa (Lou) is in her mid-20’s, somewhat naive, and has lived a fairly sheltered life in the bosom of her working-class family. She’s never really been anywhere or done anything, having suffered a personal trauma that has made her skittish of life. At the same time, she has an unconventional fashion sense and loves bright and colorful things, she’s chatty and generally upbeat and positive.

Will has suffered his own trauma, a dramatic accident that leaves him a quadraplegic. After having lived as a privileged high-flying businessman as well as an active sportsman and ladies’ man, the transition to a small life, confined to a chair, is devastating to him. After she loses her job as a local cafe, Lou is hired by Will’s family to be his companion, to basically cheer him up and to make him see that life can still be worth living.

And so it begins–a relationship that will change both Lou and Will forever. Most of the book is devoted to the development of this relationship, as it affects the principle characters as well as their other relationships and their general situations in life. There are lots of ups and downs in the story, and I thought that the way it was presented was realistic and quite gripping, despite their being little in the way of action or major plot developments. It’s a quiet story, but one that is well worth reading for the bigger questions it explores about what it means to love someone and how we choose to live our lives.

My one complaint about the book would be with the character of Lou, who I didn’t really ever connect with on a personal level. She is in many ways a contradiction, supposedly this sort of bohemian free spirit and yet actually very passive when it comes to her own life. She seems to have a hard time making any choices for herself, rather letting herself be swept along by other people’s wants and needs. Will, on the other hand, comes across as much more mature and believable as a character, and I liked him a lot. I was never really sure what he saw in Lou, other than a sort of prodigy that he could mold by exposing her to a bit of culture and the wider world.

Overall though, Me Before You is a well-written and thought-provoking book, and I would definitely recommend it.

Thanks so much to Edelweiss and Pamela Dorman Books for providing me with a review copy of this book.

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